The second season of Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) National Theater Live (NTL) is off to a good start with new and returning theater productions to captivate audiences across three screening venues in Metro Manila and Cebu.

CCP NTL Season 2 kicked off with a special screening of Vanya, an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece, at Ayala Malls Cinemas in Greenbelt 3. Written by Simon Stephens and directed by Sam Yates, the play featured the acting prowess of actor Andrew Scott, known for his iconic role as Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock and the Priest in the TV Series Fleabag. Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation which explores the complexities of human emotions.

“Andrew Scott is such a brilliant actor. The nuances, the clear shift between each character, and the fact that I could literally see them, see the different characters on stage. You can literally see the light in his eyes change,” said Fay Castro, who watched the special screening at Ayala Malls Cinemas.

Launched in June 2009, the National Theater Live is a groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theatre live from the London stage to cinemas across the United Kingdom, around the world, and now in the Philippine shore. Digitally filmed in high-definition quality, the NTL films their plays in front of live theater audiences, but optimized for the big screen and made accessible to theater fans across the globe.

Since 2023, CCP and Ayala Malls Cinemas have partnered to bring the best of British productions to the Philippine stage.

“This is the closest I can get to experiencing British productions. It is just so different to watch something on your gadget screen at the comfort of your own home and watching it in the cinema. You can see people’s reactions; you can react together with your fellow movie-goers, an experience that we can’t have at home,” shared Reine Paisley, another audience member.

Matthew Viray, a fan of the CCP NTL screenings, agreed, saying: “It is wonderful being able to watch it digitally, at home from the convenience and comfort of your own home. But it is different when you go to a physical space. It is different when you have a community, and I think it’s a wonderful thing that we can have these experiences again.”

Inclusive world-class theater experience for all

Paisley and Viray applauded the accessibility of CCP NTL to audiences in the Philippines.

“Having this opportunity to watch NTL productions here in Manila is great, and for an affordable price of P300,” Paisley said.

Viray, meanwhile, acknowledged how challenging it is to bring actual British productions to the Philippines. Having the CCP National Theater Live screening is a welcome option.

“It is so great to be able to see it in the cinema and especially on such a regular basis, too. It gives everybody an opportunity to see it,” Viray said.

Responding to strong clamor for re-screening of well-loved titles and new selections and sentiments of the public, CCP and Ayala Malls have once again joined hands for another season. This is not the first program the two institutions have collaborated on. CCP and Ayala Malls also co-present CCP’s The Met: Live in HD, in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

CCP artistic director Dennis Marasigan expressed that global inclusivity and artistic excellence have always been part of CCP’s missions.

“If these programs contribute to the cultural development of the Philippines and improve our appreciation of artistic excellence, then CCP will deliver them to the Filipino audience,” Marasigan said.

CCP has found the right partner in Ayala Malls, which shares the same goal of bringing world-class entertainment to their audience.

“Ayala Malls has been offering its venues to make art and music of world-class caliber more accessible to all,” said people behind Ayala Malls.

Aside from being a new entertainment option for movie-goers and theater enthusiasts, Marasigan looked at the CCP NTL programming to help Filipino artists benchmark their own works and skills.

“If they see how productions are done in these two cultural capitals, New York and London, they could get inspired as artists and producers, and perhaps it could elevate how we do productions here in the Philippines, at par with the British theater we see on the screen,” he said.